Fighting below Krac des Chevaliers

The most famous Crusader castle in the world is the scene of current fighting in the Syrian counterinsurgency. It was known in its day as Crac de l'Ospital, after the Knights Hospitaller who inhabited and defended its walls. The Knights defended it valiantly until 1271, when it was captured after a brutal siege that ended with a forged letter pretending to be orders from the Grand Master to surrender the place. The Sultan who issued the forgery honored the terms of it, though, and allowed the surviving Knights to withdraw in good order.